Innovative & High-End Agriculture | Farming technology

Agriculture is a fundamental industry of a nation. Gyeonggi province supports Smart farm technology and luxury high-end agricultural products in order to keep the industry up.

What is the fate of agriculture in our rapidly urbanizing societies? Despite all the technological advances of the past century we still rely on agriculture for most of our food, fabrics, etc. 

After its independence, South Korea was an agrarian society (the 1950s) which underwent rapid industrialization (the 1980s); ever since the country has seen a number of agricultural reform policies. The industrial changes, accompanied by the decline in prices of products such as rice, lead to a sharpdecrease in the number of farmers (the average age of the farmers has gone upas high as 67). 

In response to these issues, Gyeonggi-do’s agricultural sector is shifting and changing in new innovative ways. Positive changes can create more jobs, increase production, decrease losses, and improve revenue.

Luxury & High-End Agricultural Products in Gyeonggi-do

The future of agriculture does not lie in the simple mass production of raw ingredients; many people prioritize high quality and healthy ingredients. On the other hand, high end and premium products, rather than ingredients, can improve the farmers’ revenue. 

Gyeonggi-do is the home to producers of high-quality agricultural products. Here we take a look at some noteworthy examples of the Gyeonggi-do residents creating outstanding products. We’ll also look at the local government’s direct contribution through the ‘Governor of Gyeonggi Guaranteed’ program, which promotes high-quality local products. 

G Mark: Governor of Gyeonggi Guaranteed

G Mark was created to certify the quality of the Gyeonggi-do agricultural products, secure the consumer’s trust, and encourage excellence in the local farming communities. The certification is bestowed to local agricultural, livestock, fishery, and forestry products that are produced with safe and trustworthy practices.

Aside from granting the certification, the province has also tried to expand and ease the consumer’s online and offline access to the certified products, inside and outside Korea. There are currently about 300 producers that have received the mark for one, or more, of their high-quality products.

Luxury Product Starbucks Sales

Located in Pyeongtaek City, MIDM Agricultural Union Corporation is dedicated to making snacks, focusing on creating higher value through higher quality products. Their annual turnover is estimated to be as high as 7 billion KRW; 4 billion of their revenue comes from the sales of their Rice Chip cookies and Okgogam (corn, sweet potato, & potato snack) to Starbucks stores all around the country.

Steady selling rice chip of Starbucks is made by MIDM Agricultural Union Corporation
ⓒ Starbuck Korea

The company was created in 2005, when the price of rice fell drastically, by a group of local farmers. they knew that selling only rice grains would have a risky future. What they decided to do was to increase their revenue by creating higher-value products from their rice, fruits, and vegetables.

After developing their products, and while they were researching possible distribution and sales outlets, they heard that Starbucks had signed a cooperation agreement with the province and was planning to create new menu items made from Gyeonggi-do’s agricultural products. They appealed to the Starbucks at least ten times until they managed to negotiate an agreement. 

In 2009 the turnover from their Starbucks sales added up to 250 million. In only 10 years they have managed to increase the revenue 16-fold. Between their products, the Rice Chip cookies turned out to be a huge success.

High-End Soju Sales With The Help of Social Media

In another part of Pyeongtaek City, Poseung-Eup, you can find a brewery-distillery run by Balgeun Saesang Agricultural Union, founded in 2008. They create premium soju under the brand name SOHO(笑虎). 

SOHO Soju 36.5 and 56 varies in alcohol percentage
ⓒThesool

Soju is the traditional Korean liquor made through the distillation of rice. The Hanja letters 笑虎 stand for the word laughing tiger. It is a wordplay in the Korean language referring to Pyeongtaek’s location as the belly button of the tiger shaped Korean peninsula (to grab one’s belly button means to laugh hard in Korean, creating an association between the words belly button and laughing).

Their story is somewhat similar; they refused to be defeated by the drop in rice prices. As their premium products, they sell makgeolli (Korean raw rice wine) and soju. Each bottle of their premium soju is sold for 20,000 KRW which is 10 times the market price for mass-produced soju.

One of their main means of gaining customers has been through social media, which, according to them, has many benefits compared to traditional liquor marketing & sales routes. Using social media outlets, they have managed to create a dedicated customer/fan base with whom they can communicate directly.

DMZ Jang Dan Bean Chocolate

Paju is one of the northernmost cities of Gyeonggi-do, located by the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Paju cultivates a unique type of soybean, called Jang Dan bean.

Jang Dan bean chocolate a.k.a DMZ Chocolate is a major product of DMZdreamFood Co.
ⓒDMZ Dream Food Co. 

DMZ Dream Food is a social enterprise making chocolate-coated Jang Dan beans as a regional specialty product and souvenir for the DMZ visitors. 

Jang Dan beans can only grow in a special soil type and require a large day-night temperature difference. The beans have a distinct taste which led to a tasty final product that conserves the unique taste of the beans.

The Jang Dan Bean Chocolate turned out to be a successful product that won many contests and the company managed to receive financial support to upgrade its packaging, marketing, etc. They also sell roasted Jang Dan bean snacks for those who want a low-calorie healthy snack. 

Gyeonggi-do Smart Farming: The Future of Architecture

Smart farming refers to the use of various new technologies and IoT to enhance agricultural production. The use of new technology can range from using various sensors to monitor the farm conditions in detail, remote monitoring, remote control over the farm, and the use of complex data processing tools to predict different aspects of the production. 

Gyeonggi-do has adapted various degrees of smart farming. One of the notable and highly innovative farms in the province is the n.thing smart modular vertical farm in Yongin City. This is a cutting edge farming complex capable of producing 30 tons of crops annually.

Modular farming is a revolutionary concept which indicates that vegetables can be grown without soil and sunlight. The suggested techniques allow the production of fresh and safe crops in any location. Some of the benefits of modular farming include lower need for water and the elimination of pesticides. It also fits perfectly with new techniques of vertical farming, which is growing in popularity due to the increase in the human population and the need for sustainable food production.

The n.thing Planty Cubes integrate IoT automation technologies to improve every aspect of farming. Their technology also allows year-round farming because every aspect can be controlled. The Planty Cubes are paving the way to the future of sustainable and environment-friendly farming.

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Developments in farming and agriculture require active government planning and support. Understanding the needs of local farmers and consumers, Gyeonggi-do aims to support growth in the sector and become a leading example through its innovative, high-quality, and advanced agricultural producers.